The Sacramento City Council voted Tuesday to increase the parking meter rates by 50 cents. The city also approved a pilot program that would allow for longer parking time at an increased rate.

The Sacramento City Council voted Tuesday to increase the parking meter rates by 50 cents. The city also approved a pilot program that would allow for longer parking time at an increased rate.

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Updated: 1:43 AM PST Nov 11, 2015

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WEBVTT I WILL SHOW YOU THE NUMBERS YOU WAKE UP TO AND WHERE WE CAN SEE SOME FOG IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES. GULSTAN: THANK YOU. NEW TONIGHT -- IF YOU'RE PARKING IN SACRAMENTO, BRING EXTRA CASH WITH YOU. THE PRICE TO PARK ALONG DOWNTOWN STREETS IS GOING UP. TONIGHT, THE CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO INCREASE PARKING METER FEES BY $.50 AN HOUR. THAT'S A 40% INCREASE IN PARKING METER RATES TONIGHT. EDIE: KCRA 3'S CLAIRE DOAN IS LIVE IN DOWNTOWN WITH THE REASONS. CLAIRE? CLAIRE RIGHT NOW IT COSTS PEOPLE : $1.25 FOR AN HOUR TO PARK. IT WOULD GO UP TO AND THE CITY $1.75 WILL ALSO TEST OUT A PROGRAM, ALLOWING PEOPLE TO PARK AT ONE PLACE MUCH LONGER. SPENDING TIME IN SACRAMENTO WILL SOON COST YOU MORE, ESPECIALLY DOWNTOWN WHERE PARKING METERS LINE THE STREETS. IT'S ALREADY HARD FOR MINIMUM WAGE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD PARKING DOWNTOWN IN THE FIRST PLACE, SO WHAT ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO DO NOW? CLAIRE: BUT THE CITY SAYS THE CURRENT RATE OF $1.25 HAS BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 2008 AND IS WELL BELOW THE MARKET RATE. ANOTHER REASON FOR THE $.50 HIKE SAYS CITY PARKING MANAGER MATT EIRMAN. THE INCREASE IS NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE PROPER MOVEMENT. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE COME HERE TO SACRAMENTO, THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO FIND A SPACE. CLAIRE: PARKING OFFICIALS WILL ALSO TEST A NEW SYSTEM CALLED THE SPOT ZONE. IT ALLOWS DRIVERS TO KEEP THEIR CAR PARKED AT A SPOT BEYOND THE NORMAL TIME LIMIT IF THEY PAY A STARTING PREMIUM RATE OF $3 HOURLY. CERTAINLY IF YOU DON'T PAY, THEN YOU'RE VIOLATING. YOU'LL STILL GET A TICKET. BUT IF YOU PAID, YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE AN EXTRA HOUR AND YOU PUT IN THAT EXTRA TIME, YOU'RE GOING TO BE SAFE. AND I THINK MOST PEOPLE WOULD VOTE TO BE SAFE. CLAIRE: SAFE FROM A TICKET THAT COSTS $47.50. IN THE LAST YEAR, MORE THAN 12,000 PARKING CITATIONS HAVE BEEN ISSUED. PARKING OFFICIALS BELIEVE SPOT ZONE WILL REDUCE THAT NUMBER WHILE DRAWING MORE PEOPLE DOWNTOWN. AND DRAW MORE PEOPLE DOWNTOWN. THERE SHOULD BE NO REASON SOMEONE IS LOOKING AT THEIR WATCH AND DECIDING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO LEAVE FROM A GREAT MEETING OR DESSERT BECAUSE THEIR METER IS ABOUT TO EXPIRE. CLAIRE: THE NEW RATES WILL START MID-DECEMBER. AS FOR THE NEW PROGRAM, THAT WILL BE'S TRIED OUT FOR SEVERAL

Sacramento City Council approves parking meter rate increase

The Sacramento City Council voted Tuesday to increase the parking meter rates by 50 cents. The city also approved a pilot program that would allow for longer parking time at an increased rate.